Beck Malenstyn scored just 2:07 into the game Monday night for the visiting Buffalo Sabres, who never trailed as they snapped a 13-game losing streak by routing the New York Islanders 7-1 in Elmont, N.Y.
Jiri Kulich posted his first career two-goal game while Rasmus Dahlin collected a career-high four assists for the Sabres, who set a season-high for goals while winning for the first time since Nov. 23 — five days before American Thanksgiving.
The Sabres, who were outscored 54-28 during their 13-game skid (0-10-3), scored the first six goals Monday as they posted their most lopsided win since a 7-0 blanking of the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 13.
The 13-game losing streak, which dropped the Sabres into last place in the 32-team NHL, was the third-longest losing streak in franchise history behind an 18-game streak (0-15-3) in 2020-21 and a 14-game streak (0-14-0) in 2014-15.
Kulich scored his first goal with 3:11 left in the first before Jason Zucker, Zach Benson and Jack Quinn scored in a span of fewer than 12 minutes in the second period. Tage Thompson scored an empty-netter with 9:53 left in the third before Kulich scored again with 4:11 remaining.
The 20-year-old Kulich entered Monday with four goals in 25 career games.
The four assists by Dahlin snapped his previous single-game best of three, set three times previously. He had the secondary assist on Kulich’s first goal as well as Zucker’s goal before collecting the primary assist on the goals by Benson and Thompson.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves.
Kyle Palmieri scored late in the second for the Islanders, who have lost three of four (1-3-0) and have dropped nine of their last 14 (5-7-2). The seven goals allowed were the most by the Islanders since a 7-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Dec. 27.
Goalie Ilya Sorokin, who made his 11th straight start, recorded 18 saves.
–Field Level Media